Mentoring Minutes – Page 12 – Love and Lordship

Eoncourage One Another 3

“But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

Love and Lordship in Focus…Encouragement literally means to infuse with courage or put courage into. We all need encouragement and one of the best ways to know that you’ll receive is to be one that gives it at every opportunity.

As we continue with the “one another” commands we find several in the book of Hebrews. Most Biblical scholars will agree that this is, along with Romans, one of the two deepest theological books in all the Bible. Hebrews gives us a powerful understanding of Christ as the complete fulfillment of the Old Covenant in the New Covenant sealed by His blood and sacrificial death for us (all who will believe).

There are differing opinions on who penned Hebrews under the guidance of the Holy Spirit…some say Paul, some Barnabas and there are a few others that have been discussed. The beauty is that it is The Holy Spirit who is the ultimate Author of all of Scripture and therefore, Hebrews, and in the midst of this profound letter to Jewish believers to help them understand Christ and the connections and fulfillment of God’s Old Covenant in The New we find more good “one another” commands.

The first in this book is found in Hebrews 3:13 and is another repeat (so it must be important and needed), “Encourage one another daily…” Here the writer is prompted by The Spirit to not just tell us to “encourage one another” but to do it ongoing… “daily!” The Greek word here actually includes admonishing and exhorting which we’ve discussed in previous posts, and sometimes are not always a pleasant but are still needed to strengthen our walk in The Lord together.

You know why the writer of Hebrews in The Holy Spirit tells us to encourage daily? So that we will not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That’s the world we live in but we don’t have to give into it or let it harden our hearts. That’s why we encourage one another.

Do you need encouragement often? I do and I thank The Lord for those who encourage me. Do you receive encouragement? I do and I’m so blessed by it.

Now here’s the real kicker…are you being obedient, regardless of whether you’re being encouraged or not, to encourage those in your sphere of influence…daily?

I’ve found that even when I may not receive encouragement on a given day, if I choose to encourage others then that in itself brings me encouragement. Proverbs 11:25 states, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

One of my best friends in all the world is Greg Horn who hosts HOPE is Here that I share daily. The previous verse is one of his favorites to pray and to bless others with and he has prayed it over me and blessed me many times! I pray daily that He is refreshed, blessed and prospers because he is a generous man.

Another one is another best friend who voluntarily helps me with the Love and Lordship ministry. Jeff Hancock is such an encourager and blesses me regularly. I pray The Lord will bless and prosper Him as well.

Remember to encourage literally means to infuse or fill with courage and we all need that and have it in Christ as we walk through this broken and hurting world.

Who will you encourage today? I pray you will step out and do so even if others don’t encourage you. God will!

Food for Thought…When has someone encouraged you and it lifted you up beyond your circumstance(s) or problem(s) and completely changed the outcome for the better for you? When have you done the same for others? Make it not just a point but a lifestyle to be an encourager…and to accept encouragement when it comes your way.

Action Steps…

Spend time with God and in His Word and prayer every day…begin with the Scriptures in this episode.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
Who is someone in your life that has consistently encouraged you…been a Barnabas (son of encouragement) to you? How can you encourage them in return?
What can/will you do to begin to make encouragement of others a habit in your life?

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, it is clear in Your Word that we need to instill courage in each other as believers. This is literally what encouragement means and we ask that we would be obedient to infuse the courage of Christ in others by our words and actions of love toward them! In Christ’s Name. Amen.

Encourage/Build Up One Another

“Therefore… build one another up, just as you also are doing.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:11b)

Love and Lordship in Focus…We need each other! This is God’s design not just for us as individuals but for us as disciples and believers united together as Christ’s Church. Everything stated in God’s Word needs to be tested to see if it is applicable for you as an individual person or to us together as a community of believers, i.e., The Church…or to both, which is often the case.

If we apply things only to ourselves then even good things can turn selfish. If we apply them to the whole or The Body…all of us together, we may very well miss the application for our personal lives. We need both and God’s Word gives us both so we can grow as individual people and disciples without failing to grow together as The Bride and Family of Christ…His Church!

This is why we are back-tracking a bit to pick up where we ended last week in this “one another” series to talk about how and why we are to “build up one another.”

Paul continues in the same verse as our last “one another,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11, after instructing believers to encourage each other he adds, “…Build each other up…” This is ultimately what encouragement is for, remember, to literally infuse or inject courage into another. He also practices what he’s preaching as he encourages and builds them up by closing this verse stating…”as you are also doing.” He was excited that they were already doing this and wanted to help them continue in this kind of love!

This “one another” is based on the concept of actually building as in constructing a house or other structure. It takes planning, time, effort and patience to build a house properly and the same is true when we build each other up in The Lord.

We are to take the time to help construct and build each other up in The Holy Spirit to form a spiritual “house” in one another and together as The Household of Christ, The Church. We are to help one another build on a solid foundation which is Christ and the apostle’s teaching and doctrine (Ephesians 2:19-22) and also to “build up one another” or help to mature in Christ.

The only way we can do this is speaking His Truth in Love to one another. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

What do your words and actions toward others accomplish? Do they build up on a solid foundation and help to mature…or do they build on a sandy foundation and/or tear down.

We need each other and we are called and commanded to bless, encourage and build up one another in our faith so that each of us is stronger in Christ and together His Church is strengthened to carry His message to those who are lost.

Food for Thought…What does it look like for you to be comforted, encouraged or built up? How do you comfort, encourage or build others up? Find the strength to do so in God’s Word through Christ and The Holy Spirit and allow others to share with and encourage you as well.

Love in Action…

Spend time with God and in His Word and prayer every day…begin with the Scriptures in this episode.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
Recall a time when you were struggling and someone came alongside you and built you up. What did it mean to you?
How can you do the same for someone else to “build them up” individually and/or as a part of Christ’s House…His Church?

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, one of the best ways to love others is to build them up…in Your Word, living in Christ and written in The Bible. Help me to know Christ and The Bible so I can build others up in this way for Your Glory! In Christ’s Name. Amen.

Comfort/Encourage One Another

“Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Love and Lordship in Focus…The best place to find comfort, encouragement and strength is in God’s Word and by His Holy Spirit through other believers. Look for opportunities to instill comfort and courage as you build up others in the faith.

We’re going to look at another “one another” that’s actually expressed twice near the end of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians in 4:18 and 5:11. In both texts he tells the church there and us today to “…Encourage each other…”

Do you need encouragement today? Do you get discouraged by all you see going on in your community or state, in our nation or around the world…jobs, inflation, economy, COVID, war, rumors of war and on and on?

Paul reminds us that The God of All Comfort comforts us in any and every difficulty not just so we can be comfortable but to enable us to comfort others with what we’ve received from Him. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

The Thessalonians were struggling with issues as well. One of those was the varied ideas and teachings about what happens after they die…especially now that they’d been promised eternal life as believers in Christ? Paul plainly explains what will happen to those who have died in Christ and those who remain when He returns and it is very positive indeed. So in the midst of all their consternation and angst, he reminds them after his encouraging words by The Holy Spirit to “comfort (encourage) one another” with these incredible words of hope in Christ and His return.

He continues on in chapter 5 (as we know it but it would have been one continuous letter from Paul) by encouraging them himself to not be lazy or unaware but to stay sharp and be ever ready for Christ’s return because it could come at any time. He reminds them and us as Christ’s disciples and as His Church to always be alert and sober in our thinking and to put on the Gospel armor so that we are not caught off guard at any point and then he reaffirms them with the familiar words of …Encourage each other…” and he adds to it, “build one another up with these words.”

To encourage others literally means to infuse or input courage into them. We can all use some of that! There are times that all that’s going on around us can cause us to become discouraged but we have the hope of Christ and eternal life and we are to both live in this hope and comfort, encourage and build others up so they can live in it as well.

Are you choosing the encouragement of Christ, His Word and His promised return? Or are you allowing the brokenness and evil of this world to discourage you?

I pray that you are encouraged in Christ and are spending time in His Word and prayer so that you may be comforted and built up in His Truth, Grace and Love!

Love in Action…

Spend time with God and in His Word and prayer every day…begin with the Scriptures in this message.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
Look for those in need and find ways to comfort the hurting; encourage those who are struggling and; to build up those who downtrodden.
When you’re in need allow others to comfort, encourage and build you up.

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, thank You for the clarity of Your Word and Your promises that are all “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ! As I am encouraged, comforted and strengthened by Your Words of Life and Eternal Life and by other believers help me to encourage others in the same way. In Christ’s Name. Amen.